The goals of this training program are to identify, inspire and train promising candidates for research careers in academic nephrology and to assist qualified trainees in obtaining suitable academic positions. Typically, trainees will be physicians who have completed four or five years of post-graduate medical training, or Ph.D. graduates who wish post-doctoral research training in a discipline relevant to nephrology. Post-doctoral research training will continue for at least two years. On average, three new trainees will enter the program each year. The principal mechanism for training is direct performance of research under the personal supervision of one or more of the training staff comprised of eight nephrologists and nine basic scientists. Research interest of renal training faculty include: renal immunopathology, autoimmunity, renal cell physiology, ischemic and toxic renal injury, membrane receptor biology, health services research relevant to kidney diseases, and other clinical research subjects. Also, experienced, interdisciplinary training staff provide training in basic immunology, cell biology, renal physiology, cell and matrix biochemistry, and molecular biology. Well-established collaborative arrangements between training faculty allow each trainee to acquire a broad research experience and focus a variety of skills on a specific research protocol. Trainees assume graded responsibility for the design, conduct and interpretation of experiments, progressively becoming more independent, but always remaining under the supervision of the preceptor. In addition, all trainees and staff meet frequently for seminars, journal clubs and other formal group teaching exercises. Trainees work in over 10,000 square feet of modern, well-equipped laboratory space in the renal section and allied biochemistry and immunology laboratories of basic science faculty. These are in close proximity to molecular biology and hybridoma core facilities, excellent animal care quarters supervised by a full-time veterinarian, and a large medical library. The general clinical research center at Boston City Hospital is available for clinical studies.